It’s primetime for conspiracy theorist video creators

After shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, creators across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X quickly posted conspiracy videos claiming the incident was staged.

The claims were unsupported by evidence and mostly repackaged already reported details, but they spread fast in reaction-video culture driven by engagement.

The episode underscores how distrust in mainstream media and social platforms’ incentives can amplify misinformation during violent or chaotic events, before facts are clear.